![Airmen of the 4th Fighter Group ride in the back of a Dodge weapons carrier (WC51 or WC52) at Debden air base. P-47 41-6233 is in the background of the shot.
Passed by the U.S. Army on 2 October 1943, THUNDERBOLT MISSION. Associated Press photo shows:- Pilots at a U.S. Eighth Air Force station in England are taken by truck from the Dispersal room to their waiting P-47's (Thunderbolts) at the start of a sortie over enemy territory. L-R: Lt. Burt Wyman, Englewood, N.J. ; Lt. Leighton Read, Hillsboro, W.V.; F/O Glen Fiedler, Frederickburg, Tex. AKP/LFS 261022 . 41043bi.' [ caption].' Passed for publication ....1943'. [stamp].](https://www.americanairmuseum.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/freeman/media-377283.jpg?itok=_sHa27gp)
42-74640
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 370FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 551FTS, 495FTG, 8AF USAAF.
41-6233
P-47 Thunderbolt
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P-47C Thunderbolt 41-6233 WD-O 335th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group with Lt Howard Hively and dog mascot "Duke" at Debden, 1 October 1943. Airman in cockpit is believed to be Burt C Wyman.
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![Airmen of the 4th Fighter Group ride in the back of a Dodge weapons carrier (WC51 or WC52) at Debden air base. P-47 41-6233 is in the background of the shot.
Passed by the U.S. Army on 2 October 1943, THUNDERBOLT MISSION. Associated Press photo shows:- Pilots at a U.S. Eighth Air Force station in England are taken by truck from the Dispersal room to their waiting P-47's (Thunderbolts) at the start of a sortie over enemy territory. L-R: Lt. Burt Wyman, Englewood, N.J. ; Lt. Leighton Read, Hillsboro, W.V.; F/O Glen Fiedler, Frederickburg, Tex. AKP/LFS 261022 . 41043bi.' [ caption].' Passed for publication ....1943'. [stamp].](https://www.americanairmuseum.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/freeman/media-377283.jpg?itok=pXG1xXMU)
Airmen of the 4th Fighter Group ride in the back of a Dodge weapons carrier (WC51 or WC52) at Debden air base. P-47 41-6233 is in the background of the shot. Passed by the U.S. Army on 2 October 1943, THUNDERBOLT MISSION. Associated Press photo shows:- Pilots at a U.S. Eighth Air Force station in England are taken by truck from the Dispersal room to their waiting P-47's (Thunderbolts) at the start of a sortie over enemy territory. L-R: Lt. Burt Wyman, Englewood, N.J. ; Lt. Leighton Read, Hillsboro, W.V.; F/O Glen Fiedler, Frederickburg, Tex. AKP/LFS 261022 . 41043bi.' [ caption].' Passed for publication ....1943'. [stamp].
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Lieutenant Howard Hively of the 335th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group with his dog mascot "Duke" and a P-47 Thunderbolt at Debden, 1 October 1943. Passed for publication 1 Oct 1943. Handwritten caption on reverse: '1/10/43. Lt. Howard Hively, [aged] 28, 4TFO.' 'Printed caption on reverse: MASCOT WELCOMES THUNDERBOLT PILOT Associated Press Photo show: "Duke" Police dog mascot of a P-47 Thunderbolt Squadron in England, playfully tugs at a glove of Lt. Howard D. (Deacon) Hively, 28, of Athens, Chic., after the pilot had landed his fighter after a mission over enemy territory. The U.S. Eighth Air Force pilot is credited with destroying one FW-190. AKP/LFS 261023 On reverse: Associated Press and US Army Press Censor ETO [Stamps].
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Lt. Burt C Wyman, Englewood, NJ. 335th Fighter Squadron. P-47C 41-6233 WD-O. Lt. Wyman was killed in action on 29 January 1944 in P-47D 42-75119 WD-N.
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Capt Eugene E Barnum Jr - 61FS, 56FG, 8AF. Standing in front of P-47C 41-6232, 6233 or 6237 all of which were 61FS aircraft.
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4th Fighter Group 1st Lieutenant Aubrey Stanhope in front of his P-47, which hosts the first nose art done by Sgt. Don Allen.
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Burt C Wyman with nose art of P-47C 41-6233.
Assigned 335th FS, 4th FG, 8th AF. 9-43. Forced Landing Engine Failure Cat 4 damage, pilot Clemens A Fiedler, Debden/Sta 356. 2-9-43. ROS, Assigned 551FTS, 495FTG, 8th AF. 9-44, Mid Air Collision with Thunderbolt 42-74640 Cat 5, pilot 2nd Lt John D Heagney, Tibberton Green Farm, Tibberton, KIA. 23-9-44.
Assigned Pilots Lt Howard D (Deacon) Hively, Aubrey C Stanhope, Burt C Wyman, Clemens A Fiedler and John D Heagney.
Service
Aircraft
Units
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495th Fighter Training Group
Group
The 495th Fighter Training Group, which operated in England from December 1943, trained P-47 Thunderbolt pilots. These pilots, who had received the basic training in the USA would be assigned to a training group to practise ETO operational procedures... -
4th Fighter Group
Group
Some of the pilots of the 4th Fighter Group had seen many hours of combat by the time they joined the 4th Fighter Group as they had volunteered with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Air Force. The three 'Eagle Squadrons' of RAF Fighter... -
335th Fighter Squadron
Squadron
The 335th Fighter Squadron was the offspring of No. 121 (Eagle) Squadron RAF. Formed on 21 May 1941, No. 121 was the second of the three Eagle Squadrons composed of American volunteers flying out of England. They were known as the "Chiefs" and were... -
551st Fighter Training Squadron
Squadron
People
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Clemens Fiedler
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 4th Fighter Group
Assigned to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. A/C P-51B 43-7190 struck by flak while strafing Romarantin Airdrome in France. Determining he could not make it back, he called on the R/T informing his escorts of his intention to bail out. Twice he rolled the... -
John Heagney
Military | Second Lieutenant | pilot | 495th Fighter Training Group
Pilot P-47 Thunderbolt 41-6233. Mid Air Collision in P-47 41-6233 with P-47 42-74640, pilot 2nd Lt John D Heagney, Tibberton Green Farm, Tibberton, KIA. 23-9-44. -
Howard Hively
Military | Major | Fighter pilot | 4th Fighter Group
Howard Hively hailed from Columbus, Ohio, and Norman, Oklahoma. While becoming interested in oil leases and attempting to form an aero-exploration firm, he saw a poster in a Dallas hotel inviting him to join the RAF's Eagle Squadrons. He applied, was... -
Aubrey Stanhope
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Fighter Pilot | 4th Fighter Group
Joined RAFVR, assigned to 121 Sqn RAF (Eagle), transferred to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF, ... -
Burt Wyman
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 4th Fighter Group
Wyman was killed in action on 29-Jan-44 when his P-47 42-75119 was shot down by enemy fighters. ...
Places
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Debden
Military site : airfield
RAF Debden, construction of which began in 1935, is perhaps most famous as a Battle of Britain fighter airfield, partly responsible for the defence of London in 1940. In 1942 it was also home to three RAF 'Eagle Squadrons’ of volunteer American pilots...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Assigned | Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | September 1943 |
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Assigned 335th FS, 4th FG, 8th AF. |
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| Crashed | Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | 2 September 1943 |
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Forced Landing Engine Failure Cat 4 damage, pilot Clemens A Fiedler, Debden/Sta 356. 2-9-43. |
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| Repair On Site ROS | Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | 4 September 1943 |
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Repair On Site. |
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| Assigned | Atcham, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK | September 1944 |
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Assigned 551FTS, 495FTG, 8th AF. 9-44. |
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| Crashed | Tibberton, Newport, Telford and Wrekin TF10, UK | 23 September 1944 |
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Mid Air Collision with Thunderbolt 42-74640 Cat 5, pilot 2nd Lt John D Heagney, Tibberton Green Farm, Tibberton, KIA. 23-9-44. |
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| Manufactured | Farmingdale, NY 11735, USA | |
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Built by Republic. |
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| Delivered | United States | |
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To USAAF. |
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Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 27 August 2015 15:13:10 | Al_Skiff | Changes to production block number, markings, description, events, unit associations, person associations and place associations |
| Sources | ||
Roger Freeman Photo. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 March 2015 16:41:59 | apollo11 | Created entry with serial number, aircraft type, manufacturer, markings and person associations |
| Sources | ||
Personal research & 'Eighty-One Aces of the 4th Fighter Group' by Frank Speer. |
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